They started running this on the History Channel a while back and I had heard...things...about it. I figured it couldn't hurt the kids to see it and get the basics of some history skittering around their little heads.

I'll leave aside the political arguments of what's whitewashed and what's not. I mean, you desire to get all up in my business about it, I'll discuss. But that isn't what interested me.

No...what really perked my interest were the discussions of how people lived in early America. I mean, they were talking about Abe Lincoln (in the series run-up to the Civil War, of course) and showing how he grew up - and it really was amazing. Then they talk about how the Erie Canal changed life so dramatically - for example they said that within 6 months of it opening, the price of many goods in the upper Midwest dropped by 95%; that's right - it cost a buck in January, and by June it was 5 cents.

And that, of course, got me to thinking about how one uses this to build a memorable fantasy world of adventure.

This, of course, didn't take into account any of the stuff on the couple hundred thousand Grizzlies that roamed the west or the hostile natives, or the weather, or getting sold on a short cut that's supposed to take off 400 miles but really adds 100, Mr. Donner.

For me, not only a decent history primer for the kids, but a really nice picture of how a country and world might change over a hundred years...

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